CBRE Release: Premier Biotech Manufacturing Complex

The biotech complex is being sold by Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Elanco acquired the facility in 2010 and undertook an extensive capital investment and upgrade program over the next 6 years, including a multi-million extension to the manufacturing building in 2012 adding Fermentation, Formulation and Fill capabilities. During its ownership, Elanco formulated and packaged a range of veterinary vaccines for world-wide markets.

The QC (Quality Control) building located near the main plant extends to 509 sq. m (5,479 sq. ft.) on a site of approx. 0.12 Ha (0.29 acres). The QC building provided the servicing, testing and certifying of all raw material and final products. The facility mainly consists of high quality fully fitted lab spaces including chemical and environmental and process development.

The adjacent Fort Gary leased facility comprises of three storey office accommodation and warehouse / packaging space extending to 4,739 sq. m (51,014 sq. ft.) on a secure site of approx. 0.7 ha (1.8 acres). The packaging area served the packaging and labeling requirement of the production process while also offering support warehousing. The three storey office block to the front of the property has been finished to an excellent standard. The internal layout includes open and private offices, meeting rooms, canteen and a large boardroom. The offices offer a high quality finish throughout including raised access flooring and air conditioning.

The Complex is located within Finisklin business park, an IDA Ireland business and technology campus. Strategically situated just 1km West of Sligo Town Centre, this 53 hectare (131 acre) campus was completed to comply with international standards. Finisklin Business Park now caters for the needs of an extensive array of multi-national clients.

Sligo has grown to become a regionally important urban centre, serving as the administrative, commercial, service, health and educational focus for the Northwest of Ireland. The region benefits from excellent infrastructure and is easily accessible by air, road and rail. Sligo is located approx. 200 km from Dublin City (via the M4), 140 km from Galway City (via the N17) and 200 km from Belfast City (via the M1). Sligo is well serviced by international airports situated 55 km (50 mins) from Ireland West Airport and 215 km (2 hrs 30 mins) from Dublin International Airport.

Ireland is a world-leading center of excellence in the Life Sciences Industry and now employs over 50,000 people directly. Ireland remains the location of choice for many multinationals such as Eli Lilly and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Allergan, Amgen, Alexion, Regeneron, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and others. Currently, Ireland is home to 9 of the top 10 world’s pharmaceutical companies and exports over €39 billion in pharma produce annually, making it the 7th largest exporter globally. Most recently, Ireland’s attractiveness has been highlighted with Almac announcing a multimillion investment in their Dundalk facility and Takeda Pharmaceutical having reportedly invested €40 million in their new Grange Castle production facility. GE Healthcare has announced a €150 million investment in a biomanufacturing campus in Cork and Shire plans to expand its global biotechnology manufacturing capacity by investing approx. €350 million in Piercetown, Co. Meath.

In Sligo, the global healthcare company Abbott has recently announced a €10 million investment in Finisklin Business Park. This is part of Abbott’s relocation and consolidation strategy, where they plan to create a medical nutrition device centre of excellence. This investment in Sligo highlights the regions attractiveness to the Life Sciences Industry and in particular Finisklin Business Park. Ireland is not just home to large multinationals, specialty pharma companies are also making Ireland their choice location, such as Aralez Pharmaceuticals who recently opened a new Dublin location, their first permanent business premises outside of North America. Ireland has now established one of the largest concentrations of biopharma manufacturing capacity globally.